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Martin Maldonado has played for many teams during his 13 years in MLB. However, since joining the Houston Astros in 2019, the 37-year old veteran has carved out some of the best offensive stats of his career.
A native of Puerto Rico, Maldonado has never hit for a high average. A .207 career hitter, Maldonado posted a meagre .191/.258/.348 slashline in 116 contests with the Astros this year. However, Maldonado connected for 15 home runs and 36 RBIs, numbers that virtually equate his career bests.
Recently, MLB analyst Jon Heyman concocted a rather controversial X post. According to Heyman, the eight remaining teams in the postseason have relied on elite catching talent. In his list, Maldonado was cited as a reason for the Astros success.
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"Postseason catchers left: Dodgers - Smith, Arizona - Moreno, Atlanta - Murphy/d’Arnaud, Philly - Realmuto, Texas - Heim, Baltimore - Rutschman, Houston - Maldonado/Diaz, Minnesota - Jeffers. Here’s a tip — get a stud catcher! All 8 teams have above average catching situations" - Jon Heyman
Although Maldonado's name was dropped alongside Yainer Diaz, the other Houston Astros catcher, fans were not impressed.
It was not long before the comments trashing the Puerto Rican's inclusion on the list began to pour in.
Although Martin Maldonado won a Gold Glove as a member of the Los Angeles Angels in 2017, he has never been an All-Star.
By contrast, several of the names included on Heyman's list are much more decorated. One of Heyman's picks was Adley Rutschman, 2022 Rookie of the Year runner up for the O's.
The list also includes Arizona Diamondbacks backstop Gabriel Moreno, who became the fourth player in MLB postseason history to hit multiple homers before turning 23.
Although Martin Maldonado has been commended for his fielding abilites, his hitting stats are far from elite.
Despite appearing in 56 postseason games for the Houston Astros since 2018, Maldonado has only three home runs and an average of .169 in October.
Martin Maldonado may not even be the best catcher on his team
Although Maldonado has a decade of experience over back-up catcher Yanier Diaz, the 25-year old Dominican can certainly hit.
In 104 games, Diaz hit 23 home runs and 60 RBIs, far more than Maldonado has in any season of his career. While the Astros are among the MLB's elite clubs, Maldonado's presence may not be a deal breaker, as Heyman has suggested.
